A ROCKER OF THE 60'S GIVES US ROCKERS FOR THE 90'S

This article appeared in Orange County's "MAKING IT MAGAZINE"

If you stroll down the halls of this suburban doctor's office you might think you are in the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame. Posters bearing the likeness of Mick Jagger and the Stones adorn every other wall sharing space with the rare photos of the very young Elvis at outdoor concerts in the early days. In fact they adjoin the treatment and examination rooms in one of the most successful fertility practices in the United States, and the Rock memorabilia belongs to Larry Werlin, MD. A music enthusiast, a baby boomer, and a physician whose lab coat is covered with Elvis and the Stones buttons. But the walls share space with his credentials and degrees. And Larry Werlin is renowned in Southern California for helping couples realize their long awaited dreams of having a family.

We interviewed Dr. Werlin about the fertility practice and the people who come to him for help. The Fertility Center we were told offers all forms of therapy including Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART) such as In Vitro Fertilization (IFV). He stated that "there is usually more than one factor involved in Infertility. Our group looks at it from the couple's perspective, treating each couple individually." Dr. Werlin said, "Some of the newest advances are in the treatment of Male Factor Infertility, and with the advent of introducing sperm into the egg. We have seen a real improvement in couples with this problem."

The couples that come to him are indeed varied, and their stories are quite unique. One couple tried to have a baby for five years when they finally came to Dr. Werlin. They are now experiencing a second pregnancy after the successful first. The second baby comes from a frozen embryo taken at the time of the first pregnancy treatment. Asked whether freezing poses a problem in the development of an embryo, Dr. Werlin is quick to point out that infants from a frozen embryo "Are at no greater risk than those in a regular pregnancy."

Statistics constantly point to the aging population, and that goes for new parents as well. Dr. Werlin has seen this trend in the average age of his parents, from 32-34 in 1982 to an average age of 38 in 1997. Greater numbers of women pursuing advanced education and careers postpone having babies in the prime years. As a result many of them find it more difficult to achieve pregnancy, and require the assistance of a Fertility specialist.

Dr. Werlin has been in the practice of Fertility for fifteen years. From 1982 - 85 he was on the faculty at UCI's Division of Reproduction and Infertility. He moved over to Hoag Medical Center in 1986 where he set up a full service Fertility center. In 1995, he moved with his entire staff into his private practice in Irvine, where he has been ever since. He is a man with boundless energy, enthusiasm and a genuine caring for the many women and men he helps - capturing the very best of the 60's spirit.